Test subject: Daniel
Fitness Status: Poor fitness and a little overweight
Reason for training: Feeling unfit and sluggish, don’t like how I feel with my body, fitness and diet.
Daniel is going to work on a weekly rotation of running, swimming and weight exercise. To achieve this you must take a 4 day exercise routine of the above training methods and run this along side a decent diet. Try to avoid fatty foods and keep to the good stuff, fruit and vegetables basically your five per day and aim for at least 2 litres of water every day also. Take a look at the diet section for some great recipes to get you started. We also recommend some great food diet books in the recommendations section.
Monday
Gym Session
1, 10 minutes or 2000 meters rowing to warm up
2, Daniel is going to concentrate on a routine of chest and triceps workout on the first day of the week. Once you have completed your warm up, move on to the chest press. You can use a standard vertical chest press machine or simply go for the flat bench and bar equipment. Aim to achieve a steady balance of weight not too much as to struggle with the lift and not too little that you feel no benefit at all. We are aiming for 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions to complete this exercise.
3, Using the Pec Deck machine next. Perform the exercise by holding your arms and elbows in together so that you virtually touch them together at the completion of the movement. Aim to achieve a steady balance of weight not too much as to struggle and lose balance. Return to the start position and repeat for 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions to complete this exercise.
4, Incline Dumbbell Fly is the last on the chest routine for Monday. Take up position on a free standing incline bench with your back flat on the bench. Take each dumbbell with your palms facing in facing each other. To start you want your arms to be stretched out wide to your sides with your elbows slightly bent and your palms facing in. Lift the dumbbells up together to meet in the middle and repeat. When returning to the start position, be sure to lower the dumbbells in a slow and controlled manner. Aim to achieve a steady balance of weight not too much as to struggle and lose balance. Return to the start position and repeat for 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions to complete this exercise.
5, Treadmill running for 20 minutes including your warm up. Start your treadmill run with a 2 minute warm up at a brisk pace. Once you have a good stride going, increase the speed to a comfortable pace for a further 2 minutes. After 4 minutes in total, increase the speed to a fast jog or partial sprint for 1 minute, this will work the body more and return some good calorie burning. After 1 minute return to your comfortable pace for a further 2 minutes. Continue this routine for 17 minutes including your warm up. Once you have reached 17 minutes lower your speed gradually and warm down for the last minute where you should be walking at a normal pace.
6, By the end of every session, remember to warm down accordingly as to not sustain an injury. Maintain a steady walk and a good stretch.
This concludes Monday’s session. Your Gym time should be around 1 hour long.
Wednesday
1, 10 minutes or 2000 meters rowing to warm up.
2, Shoulder press. Adjust the seat height to suit. The shoulder press handles should be around 6 CM above your shoulders. Make sure your back is straight your feet are planted on the floor or foot rest and your hands are facing forward. Press upward in a controlled manner. Continue up until your elbows are almost locked. Make sure to exhale while pushing the weight up. Lower the weights again, control the weight stack and avoid hitting the plates. Return to the start position and repeat for 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions to complete this exercise.
3, Cable Pull ups. Place a short bar on the cable clip. Grip the bar at each end no wider than your own shoulders at hip height and start your movement upwards in a slow and controlled motion. Remember to breath, exhale upward and inhale on the down motion. The bar should reach up to chest level and elbows to the side of your head. Try to maintain a steady motion and keep the bar close to your chest. Return to the start position and repeat for 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions to complete this exercise.
4, Front Dumbbell raises. Use a pair of dumbbells and hold them at waist height with your arms relaxed. Ensure your stand with good stance and grounded level posture. Remember to keep your arms slightly bent at the elbow to prevent strain on the elbow (tennis elbow sufferers like me should take note). Remembering to breath out on the lift, lift the weights outwards directly in front of your shoulders level with your chest so the arm is parallel with the chest. Pause, and slowly lower them to the start position. You can list one arm at a time or both together. Both together saves time and I feel is a little harder and takes a little more effort.
5, Treadmill running for 20 minutes including your warm up. Start your treadmill run with a 2 minute warm up at a brisk pace. Once you have a good stride going, increase the speed to a comfortable pace for a further 2 minutes. After 4 minutes in total, increase the speed to a fast jog or partial sprint for 1 minute, this will work the body more and return some good calorie burning. After 1 minute return to your comfortable pace for a further 2 minutes. Continue this routine for 17 minutes including your warm up. Once you have reached 17 minutes lower your speed gradually and warm down for the last minute where you should be walking at a normal pace.
6, At the end of every session, remember to warm down accordingly as to not sustain an injury.
This concludes Wednesday’s session. Your Gym time should be around 50 minutes to 1 hour long.
Friday
1, 10 minutes or 2000 meters rowing to warm up
2, Lateral Pull Down machine. First adjust the seat height to suit so you can reach the bars of the lateral pull down machine. Remembering to breathe out on the lift, pull the weights in a downward motion until your arms are level with your shoulders and return in slow and controlled manner. Remember to exhale on the upward motion and repeat the exercise for 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
3, Lateral Row. Adjust the seat height to suit so you can reach forward and grab the bars of the lateral row machine. Remembering to breathe out on the pull motion, pull the weights toward you in a controlled manor until your arms are level or nearly touching your chest and return in slow and controlled manner. Remember to exhale on the return motion and repeat the exercise for 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions
4, Dumbbell Row using the work bench free weights. Kneel on one side of bench by placing knee and your supporting arm hand on bench with your opposite leg slightly back to side standing slightly bent. Grab the dumbbell from the floor position and Pull the dumbbell up to the side until just before the dumbbell hits your side or the upper arm is parallel with your back. Return the dumbbell back in a slow and controlled manner remembering to breathe. Execute this exercise for 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions
5, Dumbbell Curls. Stand with your feet apart holding two dumbbells by your sides. Ensure the dumbbells are held correctly with palms facing in and arms straight. With your elbows tucked into your side, raise one dumbbell toward your chest and rotate forearm until your forearm and palm faces shoulder/chest. Return the dumbbell back in a slow and controlled manner remembering to breathe. Execute this exercise for 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions with alternating arms.
6, Cable Curls Using the cable machine or Concentration Curl
- Cable Curl. Attach the straight cable bar to the cable hook on the cable machine and lower the cable wheel to the lower most part of the vertical column. Pick up the bar with a firm grip and stand with feet apart and take the weight. With elbows tucked into your side, raise the bar toward your chest until your forearms and palms face the shoulder/chest. Return the bar back in a slow and controlled manner to the hips remembering to breathe. Execute this exercise for 4 sets of 12 to 15
- Concentration Curl. Place yourself at one end of a flat workout bench with your legs apart and lean forward slightly. Select and take a dumbbell in one hand with your palm facing upward. Rest your elbow on the inside of your thigh and allow the dumbbell to hang down in a relaxed fashion. Slowly curl the dumbbell to your chest keeping your elbow in place against your thigh, remembering to twist your wrist outwards remembering to breath out on the upward stroke. Repeat this exercise for 4 sets of 12 to 14 repetitions with alternating arms.
8, Treadmill running for 20 minutes including your warm up. Start your treadmill run with a 2 minute warm up at a brisk pace. Once you have a good stride going, increase the speed to a comfortable pace for a further 2 minutes. After 4 minutes in total, increase the speed to a fast jog or partial sprint for 1 minute, this will work the body more and return some good calorie burning. After 1 minute return to your comfortable pace for a further 2 minutes. Continue this routine for 17 minutes including your warm up. Once you have reached 17 minutes lower your speed gradually and warm down for the last minute where you should be walking at a normal pace.
This concludes Friday’s session. Your Gym time should be around 1 hour long.
Saturday or Sunday
If possible go swimming as swimming is a low impact exercise and does break up the impact of the cardio you have been doing during the week. Also a good swim using from crawl can burn up to 100 calories every 15 minutes when moving at a good pace. Apart from the above advantages, swimming is fun and also breaks up the gym sessions to maintain more variety in your training. Swimming also uses different muscles to the ones you have been using during the week.
If you do not have the facility of a swimming pool, try cardio sessions in the gym with a combination of rowing, cycling and jogging. Spend around 10 minutes in each exercise and work up a good sweat. Remember you know your limits. Push yourself but not too much as to hurt yourself.
Your Swim/Gym time should be around 30 to 45 minutes long.
What You Can Expect
The training program above should show changes and differences in fitness levels and actual physical shape after 6 to 8 weeks of training. This is a great base level for fitness to which you will feel better in body mind and general wellness in yourself. Remember to eat the right food, drink lots of water and you will notice the benefits.
Don’t make training a chore, make it fun, meet new people and share your training experiences. Learn new techniques and training tips. Also, remember the guys at your local gym are there to help you. If you have any questions don’t be afraid to ask for help.